Cucina del Veneto E-Book

Ursula Ferrigno

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 162

Beschreibung

'Ursula transports you to magical Venice with authentic, mouthwatering recipes'. Gennaro Contaldo 'Elegant cooking from an elegant writer on cooking in the Veneto with beautiful produce. A joy.' Jeremy Lee Discover the captivating Veneto region in Northern Italy offering the most delicious food with over 75 authentic recipes, cooked with care and attention using the best ingredients. Be transported to a table in Venice through evocative recipes such as Radicchio Rose di Treviso, Spicy Polenta Lasagne, Risotto ai Frutti di Mare and traditional Venetian Tiramisu. Fascinating essays are also included to provide background to the history of the region, plus a deep dive into the famous produce, including a study of the wines produced there. The Veneto is a northern Italian region, lying between the base of the Alps and the Adriatic to the south. It has rich soil, a good climate, and as a result, produces rice, wonderful vegetables, wild and domestic animals, and much dairy produce. The Veneto also forms part of the 'polenta, bean and rice belt' of Italy, and risotti, pulses and a beautiful white polenta are more prevalent than pasta. There are many pasticcerie, and shops selling gelati or ice cream. Don't forget about the wonderful Venetian Prosecco (the grapes are grown in Treviso), and grappa, which comes from Vicenza. There is so much to discover and enjoy!

Leseprobe

CUCINA del

Veneto

CUCINA del

Veneto

DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM VENICE & NORTHEAST ITALY

Ursula Ferrigno

photography by Clare Winfield

Dedication

To Antonia, for your interest in the Veneto from the tender age of five when we visited, for licking your lips and always smiling and wanting ‘fish with eyes please Mummy’!

Senior Designer Toni Kay

Senior Editor Abi Waters

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Creative Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Wine Expert Richard Lagani

Food Stylist Kathy Kordalis

Prop Stylist Zoe Harrington

Indexer Vanessa Bird

First published in 2024 by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London

WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 11th St

New York, NY 10029

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Ursula Ferrigno 2024 with the exception of pages 8-9 © Ryland Peters & Small 2024

Design and commissioned photography © Ryland Peters & Small 2024 (see page 191 for full credits)

Illustration credits:

Front jacket artwork: Vibrands Studio Spine: smash338

Printed in China.

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-78879-607-1

E-ISBN: 978-1-78879-657-6

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

US Library of Congress cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

NOTES

• All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified.

• All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra-large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

• When a recipe calls for cling film/plastic wrap, you can substitute for beeswax wraps, silicone stretch lids or compostable baking paper for greater sustainability.

• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Wines of the Veneto

Small Bites Cicchetti

Soup & risotto Zuppe e Risotti

Pasta, Polenta & gnocchi Pasta, Polenta e Gnocchi

Fish, Meat & poultry Pesce, Carne e Pollame

Vegetables Verdure

Desserts Dolci

Index

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

Venice and the Veneto have been part of my life since childhood. I was eleven the first time I visited Venice. I know the province of Verona well, where the radicchio my father exported was grown. Food connected me to the Veneto as a child, and it still does now, as I teach at a cookery school in the Dolomite foothills of Treviso three times a year. To be able to visit so often, and to cook with the region’s magical ingredients, is a privilege and pleasure.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VENETO

This is not a history book, but I think knowing something about the region’s social and political history is important to understanding many facets of its culinary history. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire until the 5th century AD, after which parts of the north were invaded by Germanic barbarians. Seeking safety, many local people moved south to the Adriatic coast. Here they found marshes, lagoons and islands, all of which formed a natural barrier to invasion, and several island communities were established. These formed the basis of today’s Venice and its numerous islands.

Venice gradually became a powerful and rich city because of its geographical location, straddling trade routes from East to West, with access to the Mediterranean. The Republic of Venice – traditionally known as La Serenissima (‘the most serene’) – was established in 697 AD. During the Middle Ages it ruled most of northern Italy, as well as lands on the eastern side of the Adriatic (the modern Croatia, etc.) until 1797. During those 1,100 years, Venice’s Republic was probably the largest, richest trade empire in the world, with a monopoly in salt, pepper, sugar, coffee and spices such as cinnamon and saffron.

And because of the trading wealth of the Republic, the arts flourished in Veneto, with many famous painters, musicians, sculptors and architects living and working there. The beauty of Venice is testament to their talent and creativity.

Modern Veneto is divided into seven provinces, which are named after their provincial capitals: Belluno, Padova (Padua), Rovigo, Treviso, Vicenza, Verona and Venezia (Venice).

THE TERRAFERMA

The cooking of the seven provinces of Veneto is as diverse as the many landscapes of the region, from the snowy peaks of the Pre-Alps to the coastal marshes and lagoons.

North and inland from Venice and the sea, the dishes of the terraferma (mainland) are usually substantial. Meat is eaten instead of seafood, and the cooking is heartier, with many meat stews. The accompaniments to these, throughout the whole of Veneto, are polenta and rice, not pasta. Surprisingly, baccalà – dried cod in Veneto – is popular (cod is not found in the Mediterranean, and has to be imported).

In mountainous Belluno, wild mushrooms abound in season. In Treviso, with its fertile soil, radicchio is king, and it is also where I teach, in the wonderful village of Cison de Valmarino. In Vicenza, the white asparagus from Bassano is a seasonal treat. (The Vicenzans were once called mangiagatti, ‘cat eaters’, due to some sad story concerning rats, cats and poverty, but I assure you the Vicenzan menu is completely cat-free now…) Padua is famous for its white polenta, preserved goose and wonderful chickens, while Verona is known for its gnocchi, fresh-water fish from Lake Garda, horsemeat stew, and vialone nano rice. (This is IGP, Indicazione Geografica Protetta, meaning that a food has unique qualities, and has been developed in a specific geographical area). Rovigo sits on the Adriatic, like Venice, and loves its fish and wild birds.

Most of the provinces make cheeses, salami and hams (Veneto ham is DOP, Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, ‘protected designation of origin’). Veneto is a well-known wine area, producing many famous reds, wonderful Prosecco, and is also the home of grappa, the Italian equivalent of French marc.

VENICE

Venice, La Serenissima, is arguably the most beautiful and charismatic city of Italy. Its history as a maritime republic and its trade with the East have both helped to shape its culinary arsenal. In many of the seafood and other dishes, there are little touches of the exotic – the highly peppered sauce that accompanies duck and game dishes, a hint of cinnamon in risotto or gnocchi – which are rare in the rest of Italy. In Venice you should eat seafood, which is brought in fresh every day from the lagoon. Try sardines in an Arabic-influenced sweet and sour marinade; or moleche (soft-shelled crabs), or bigoliin salsa, pasta with an anchovy sauce. There are a few meat and poultry dishes worth trying, such as calf’s liver with onions, fegato alla veneziana, duck with that characteristic pepper sauce, or the famous carpaccio invented in Harry’s Bar. And do not miss the cicchetti, the snacks which you can try at any time of day, preferably with a glass of Prosecco.

I love the cooking of Venice, I love the city, I love its sense of theatre, its beauty – I often feel that I’m living in a glorious painting! I love its culture – from Carnevale, to the Biennale and Film Festival, to its wonderful concerts, theatres, museums and art galleries. I also bemoan its vulnerability for, despite safeguards in the lagoon, the sea still intrudes, and the acqua alta (high water) constantly threatens the ancient city’s foundations.

I have been teaching cookery in Veneto for 20 years. I worked in Venice itself for four years, a two-week course every year. I got to know the city well, although every time I visit now, I seem to take a completely different path to the centre! I too was taught: I learned about risotto from Venetian chefs. They said a wooden spoon with a hole in it was the best implement, and that you should stir towards your heart. (My engineer husband assured me that there was no scientific reasoning behind either of these ideas. Science sometimes is a little boring…)

I also learned more about fish. I have been going to the same man in the Rialto fish market for 14 years now. He knows what I want, doesn’t pressure me, and understands that sometimes I don’t need the fish gutted, skinned or scaled (we will do that in class). I spend a lot of money so he is willing to accede to my sometimes curious requests. (He always manages to slip a packet of baccalà into my cool bag, even though I have told him we don’t much like it!) Now, when I come into Venice from Treviso on market day (Tuesday), I can nod and smile at the vendors, as I have become a familiar face to them. They treat me like they would a Venetian, not a tourist, and indeed I quite often feel like a Venetian!

My feelings for Venice go even deeper, though. After returning from honeymoon (in 2003), I was teaching in Venice, my first time away from my new husband. One day, not feeling all that well, I somehow found my way to Caffè Florian in St Mark’s Square: I couldn’t eat anything, but I had such a longing for a cup of their hot chocolate. I didn't know it then, but I was already pregnant with my daughter, Antonia.

Every visit to Venice makes me feel as if I am discovering something new and special. For instance, I recently found a bookshop, the Libreria Acqua Alta, that has been flooded so many times it keeps its books in baths and boats, even a gondola! Venice, for me, has inspiration on every corner.

Wines of the Veneto

BY RICHARD LAGANI

Located in the northeast corner of Italy, the region of Veneto runs from Lake Garda in the west to the region’s capital, Venice, and from the foothills of the Italian Alps in the north to the plains of the Po River in the South. With such diversity, the region contains some of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. Veneto’s geography, culture and wines represent the different peoples who have inhabited the region over the centuries. The region has historically been a crossroads for armies and merchants and can be seen as a transition between the Austrian and German influences of the Alps, and more Roman lands to the south.

Given this diversity, it comes as no surprise the region also produces some of the most beautiful wines in the world. What might be surprising is the Veneto region, although smaller than more well-known wine producing regions, produces more wine than Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy or Puglia. At one point, the region suffered from concerns of overproduction and quality, but today over one quarter of the region’s wines are designated either Denominazione di Origine Contrallata 'DOC' or Denominazione di Origine Contrallata e Garantta 'DOCG', the two highest quality levels in Italian wine.

For those familiar with the French wine term Appellation d’Origine Controllée or ‘AOC’ these two Italian terms are similar and help consumers gauge the quality of the wine inside. DOC on a bottle means the wine adheres to the requirements and rules of the area where it was made. DOCG, the highest level of wine in Italy, requires the wine to pass a taste test as well as meet all the areas’ requirements. Classico is another useful Italian wine term. A wine is only permitted to say Classico if it has been produced in the ‘classic’ or traditional area within the region where the wine was originally made. Depending on the area, Classico may also mean the winery has adhered to even more stringent wine-making requirements. While by no means foolproof, DOC or DOCG and Classico on the label generally indicate a higher quality wine.

While the rest of the world recognizes wines like Soave, Prosecco, Valpolicella and Amarone, often the people of Veneto drink wines made from other local indigenous grapes. As is the case with the rest of Europe, over 90% of the wines produced in Italy, stay in Italy. In addition, there is a beauty in the day-to-day simplicity of life in Veneto. Wines created from lesser-known varieties like Tai Rosso, Dindarella and Verdiso are never far from the region’s dining tables. There is even a French influence, a relic from Napoleon’s occupation of the region, in that Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc are grown alongside more traditional Italian grapes.

In terms of importance, the two most significant grape varieties in Veneto are Garganega and Corvina. The first is used in producing Soave and the second in the production of Valpolicella and Amarone.

Soave is made using the Garganega grape. While blending with other white grapes such as Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay is permitted, to qualify as a DOC or DOCG, the wine must contain a minimum of 70% Garganega. Soave is a versatile wine that not only pairs well with food and lifts a meal, but is also wonderful to drink on its own. It is a fresh, dry wine with floral aromas and high acid, which delightfully balances the apple, peach and citrus fruit flavours. The very best Soaves carry DOC/DOCG and Classico on their labels. This is vital as the original area is far better at producing wine than some of the other flatter, lower areas.

Valpolicella and Amarone are produced using the Corvina grape and are often blended with Rondinella and Molinara. Generally, Valpolicella and (its cousin Bardolino) are made in the normal way, creating soft, velvety dry wines with red fruit flavours and a slightly bitter almond finish. Amarone, on the other hand, is made using the same grape but only after they have been air-dried for several months and then fermented in the late winter. These dried, almost raisiny, grapes produce a wine that is dry but powerful, with intense flavours of ripe red fruits, raisins and baking spices.

These grapes also produce amazingly balanced sweet wines, Recioto di Soave and Recioto della Valpolicella. Like Amarone, these wines are made from partially dried grapes but are fermented to a luscious sweetness of stewed fruit flavours balanced with high acidity. The Recioto di Soave has a sweet, full-bodied flavour of candied citrus peels with a crisp finish. Recioto della Valpolicella is full of red fruit flavours with raisins, honey and a very clean finish. There is also an indulgent, slightly sparkling version that is amazing with any chocolate dessert.

No matter where you are in Veneto, you will find lovely wines to enjoy on their own or together with the regional cuisine. Whether you opt for an easy drinking Soave or a bold Amarone, or even a local lesser-known variety such as Tai Rosso, the wines of Veneto should not be missed.

SMALL BITES

CICCHETTI

DELIGHTFUL LITTLE MORSELS

I think it is impossible to visit Venice only once; you have to return again and again to properly absorb every enticing nuance. And for foodies, what is probably most enticing are the colourful shopfronts which, throughout the city, offer a varied array of snacks, the famous and unique Venetian cicchetti. These shopfronts usually belong to a bacaro, or wine bar, although you can also find cicchetti sold in a ciccheteria, cantina, botega, enoteca or osteria.

The word cicchetti – pronounced ‘chiketti’ – is said to derive from the Latin word, ciccus, which means ‘little’ or ‘nothing’. Cicchetti are the Italian version of the Spanish tapas, tasty morsels to be eaten with a drink. As with tapas, you can make a meal of cicchetti, by ordering multiple plates, for a good and filling meal. And you don’t necessarily have to eat and drink in the same bacaro — you could make your way from bacaro to bacaro, sampling the varied tastes on offer, as well as differing wines. It is a good way of familiarizing yourself with the labyrinthine side-streets of the city.

A glass of wine is the usual accompaniment to a cicchetto. This glass is called ombra, meaning ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’, said to be a reminder of the days when wines were unloaded from boats on to the Riva degli Schiavoni, the broad avenue along the waterfront from St Mark’s Square (now probably the most popular promenade in the world). The wines were sold from shaded stalls which, throughout the day, had to move as the sun moved. The words ‘wine’ and ‘shade’ became so inextricably linked that ‘Andemo bever un’ombra’ ('let’s go to drink a shadow') is now simply the Venetian way of inviting you to go for a drink. The wines in bacari are normally local, from the Veneto, which are very reasonable in price, and are usually served from the tap, rather than from bottles. Occasionally, nowadays, an ombra refers to an Aperol spritz, the luminous orange drink that has become so popular in the last ten years or so.

Bacari are normally situated in the calli (the maze of alleys) off the main Venetian thoroughfares, and are easily identifiable because, in good (or indeed indifferent) weather, there will be a huddle of people standing outside with small glasses in their hands. Inside are shelves of assorted cicchetti, beautifully arranged, colourful and irresistible. The Venetians eat cicchetti in the morning, towards lunch, or in the afternoon as a snack. I must admit that, in the tiny cicchetti bar next to the Rialto cheese shop, I have often seen locals enjoying their Prosecco and cicchetti at ten in the morning!

You don’t have to speak Italian to order, you can just point. You normally eat standing up, using your fingers or a cocktail stick. In a small city where space is at a premium, eating on the hoof, so to speak, makes more sense than sitting down in a restaurant, which takes more time and is much more expensive. (Although I urge you to eat in as many of Venice’s restaurants as you can; many are superb.) With cicchetti, you can eat as much or as little as you like, and you can enjoy a selection of flavours and textures, which is much more interesting than simply an appetizer and main.

Cicchetti are designed to stimulate the appetite, so they are quite big on flavour (which is not mild, it is often sweet and sour, agrodolce). The foods on offer vary from tiny sandwiches to pâtés, olives, salami, eggs, cooked meats and fish, mostly served on small slices of bread or set polenta. In the summer, the cicchetti are smaller and lighter, perhaps using vegetable and salad ingredients. In winter, there might be heavier fare, such as a stew, served on or in a roll. Many cicchetti served with a sauce are offered on small plates. Baccalà mantecato and sarde in saor are two famous Venetian dishes, which are shrunk to cicchetti size, but you can also encounter meatballs, baby octopus, sardines, crab and shrimp, squid, roasted vegetables and cheese combinations. Nervetti – veal and pork cartilage – are boiled and dressed and served as a cicchetti. This might not be to the taste of most non-Italians….

For me, one of the most enthralling aspects of Venetian cicchetti is that the menus in bacari